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OutsideDown Productions

100% Local

Phone: (414) 412-1479 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.outsidedownproductions.com/ Hours:

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Outsidedown Productions was founded in May 2015 and is based in the Milwaukee area. This one-man studio began as a ‘hobby-on-the-side’ in 2003.

It began as an ‘audio-only’ studio, and by 2008, photo, graphic arts and video services had been added. Finally, after many years of completing projects for both myself and others, I took the leap and officially went into business in 2015.

First and foremost, I do this because I love it.

I have been a musician for over 36 years. I was only going to be a drummer – that was the plan. As I began to get serious and record my music on a professional level, I found that the recording studios often charged a lot of money for results that fell short of what I wanted. I began to learn about audio recording on my own in order to produce recordings that sounded as well as I knew they could.

When I realized I had learned some very useful skills, I began producing other bands in the studio – mostly young bands with little or no recording studio experience. I wanted to make sure they would get a great recording for their money…and make it the great experience it should be! Eventually, I expanded into logos, cassette and CD covers, band T-shirts, posters, flyers, photos and videos, and the list goes on. I learned how to do these things myself so I would get them done the way I wanted them done…the best quality possible and for a fair price!

If you look at the rest of this website, you will see that I divide what I do into 4 basic classifications: audio, video, photo, and graphic arts. Half of what I do involves taking old analog media and converting it to high resolution digital files. From there, improvements, repairs or upgrades can be done to make an exciting new custom project that is convenient and fun to view or listen to. The other half of what I do involves working with brand new digital media and producing new projects. That can mean utilizing ideas or media provided by the customer, creating new ideas, or mixing the old with the new to create yet another type of project.

I have sought out some great equipment for my studio, and I do the best job I can for every customer. My promise to you is to treat every project like it is my own, and do it for a reasonable price.

Check out the examples posted on my site and see what you think, then give me a call to talk about your new project. I think you’ll find my passion about what I do makes me the right person to make your project the best it can be.

Audio

Audio Services

Audio Mastering
Analog to Digital conversion
Audio editing and/or restoration

Audio Mastering

Prepare a new recording for mass replication. Update and breathe new life into an older recording for replication, personal use, or for an audio or video project. Ask for a quote.

Convert Analog Audio to Digital Audio

Convert your analog tapes and vinyl records and save them as high-resolution digital wave files which can be used in a number of ways:

Assemble all of the unedited source wave files that were converted and create a master back up/archive disc.
Restore, manipulate, or improve the wave files: noise reduction or removal, clean up ends, add fades where applicable, boost volume levels, compression, equalization, editing, effects and more (basic mastering).
Create an audio CD – a single work or a compilation of various recordings.
The restored/improved wave files can be written to an archive disc (digital master back up disc).
Use the restored/improved audio files in a video or photo slideshow project.

Digital audio files can also be used in your project.

Formats

(for conversion to digital)
Vinyl

33rpm and 45rpm records
78rpm records

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My rate for basic audio services is $20 / hour (plus discs and sales tax). This includes digital conversion, editing, and basic enhancements like noise reduction and increasing sound levels.

Some audio tapes that have been stored for long periods of time will stick together and not play. I am equipped to bake these tapes and remove the stickiness at a cost of $5 per tape. Although temporary, this process will almost always make the tape playable for a period of time so that the conversion to digital may be completed. I will call and get customer approval before going ahead with this process.

Audio mastering is not included under ‘basic audio services’.

A disc containing the unedited source wave files (digital master) can be made for an additional charge. This is recommended if you want to be able to go back and listen to the original recordings, begin a future project with them, or simply archive the transfer you already paid for.

Additional information, including how to get started on your project, can be found on the FAQ page.

Audio Mastering Examples

Example 1 – Before

This is a short piece of a 1989 stereo recording captured from a cassette tape (no master tape available).
It is very bass-heavy, has a small amount of tape hiss, and originally had low level.
The volume level was raised so that the comparison between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ would be based on quality only.

Example 1 – Before
Audio Player

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Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

Example 1 – After

The ‘after’ version reveals a recording with a more even distribution of frequencies – cleaner and more defined on the low end.
The high end has more clarity and detail, the tape hiss has been reduced, and the level has been brought up.

Example 1 – After
Audio Player

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Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

Example 2 – Before

This is a 1967 mono recording captured from vinyl (no master tape available). This ‘before’ version shows it to be a bit muffled and without much definition. The volume level was also much lower, but it was raised to roughly match the level of the mastered ‘after’ version. The brain often prefers whichever version is louder, so this minimal amount of processing was done to take that element out of the comparison and make this a straight quality comparison.

Example 2 – Before
Audio Player

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Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

Example 2 – After

The ‘after’ version reveals some tightening of the low end. The bass guitar is clearer and the bass drum can be heard a little bit, although it was pretty low in the mix to begin with. The guitar, vocals and drums are clearer too. A little bit of cymbal work can be heard, although they were also very low in the original mix. The lead vocal sounds a bit thin in places, but there was a trade off in trying to get the snare to ‘snap’ and cymbals to surface a bit.

Example 2 – After
Audio Player

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Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

Video

Video Services

Videography
Video Production
Convert Analog Video to Digital Video

Videography

(ask for a quote)

Single camera shoots, or multiple takes with a single camera. (High Definition video)
Add a second camera operator for larger productions. (also High Definition video)
Live music performance, other types of live performance, events, music videos, commercials, crowdfunding videos, corporate videos, and more.
(we can discuss any idea and budget you may have)

Video Production

(ask for a quote)

Videography: High Definition single camera shoots, multiple takes with a single camera, or add a second camera operator for larger productions. Music videos, corporate videos, live music performance (inquire about other live events), and more…
Video Editing – Edit a single video source or assemble a compilation of scenes from various sources into a project.
DVD / Blu-ray Authoring: assemble the final edited project with or without menus – for private use or mass replication (standard or high definition)

Convert Analog Video to Digital Video

(All analog video tapes: $20 / hour for labor – plus final discs and sales tax)
(All analog film reels: $25 / hour for labor – plus final discs and sales tax)

Note: The film reels are inspected for damage, repaired if necessary, cleaned, blank leader added if necessary, and transferred via an advanced machine that
takes high resolution photos of each individual frame for a very precise high quality digital video clip.

Convert your analog video tapes and film – save them as high-resolution digital files which can be used in a number of ways:

Assemble all of the unedited source files and create a digital master/archive disc.
Restore, manipulate, or improve the video files: editing, color correction and other video improvements, effects and transitions between scenes as needed, repair or improve audio, add photos or printed media, animated text and credits, menu pages and more…
Create a DVD or Blu-ray disc – a single work or a compilation of various recordings.
Projects can also be saved to flash drives, external hard drives, or sent to you electronically.
Use the restored/improved video clips in a photo slideshow project.

Digital video files can also be used in your project.

Formats

(for conversion to digital)

Analog Video

VHS and S-VHS
Betamax (types 1, 2 and 3)
Hi8 camera cassette
8mm / Video8 camera cassette
VHS-C camera cassette
Regular 8mm, Super 8mm, and 16mm silent film reels

Digital Video
(for adding digital media to newly converted media in a project)

Mini DV cassette
SDHC cards

Some video tapes that have been stored for long periods of time will stick together and not play. I am equipped to bake these tapes and remove the stickiness at a cost of $5 per tape. Although temporary, this process will almost always make the tape playable for a period of time so that the conversion to digital may be completed. I will call and get customer approval before going ahead with this process.

Discs containing the unedited source video files (digital master) can be made for an additional charge. This is recommended if you want to archive the conversion you purchased, or be able to go back to the original recordings for any reason.

Additional information, including how to get started on your project, can be found on the FAQ page.

Look below to see some video examples…

Video Examples:

This is an example of a crowdfunding video. This videomercial is actually done more as a photo slideshow with sparse video and a lot of movement in it. Most crowdfunding presentations are done as video productions, so I am including in the video section. This type of video is also similar to some corporate videos and commercials which are also services performed by Outsidedown Productions. More detailed notes are found about this video after you click the link.

Crowdfunding Videomercial

Below are two Regular 8mm silent film conversion samples. The first example is a basic conversion with nothing altered. The second example is the same clip, but it goes a step further and demonstrates treatment with video de-noising software. This will add some labor time, but it can be well worth it, especially in lower light scenes. Each scene must be worked on separately for the best results. A customer can choose to add de-noising to only the scenes that need it most, every scene in the project, or none of them if the main concern is to keep the project cost lower. Super 8mm and 16mm silent film can also be converted. Text, music, or voice-over narration can be added to a silent video project as well.
Film conversions are usually projects on their own, but adding film clips to photo slideshows can be a very interesting way to view related photos and film together and add depth to your project. See the Photo/Video Slideshow example on the Photo page of this website under ‘Photo Examples’ to see how well it works.

Regular 8mm film conversion – basic – no alterations
Regular 8mm film conversion – with denoising added

Below are two videos (out of four) in a series to promote an album release. They were done on a low budget – four songs in one location with clothing changes. In these videos, the camera work and lighting was done by others – I took the raw video footage and produced the finished videos (editing, color correction, effects, intro and outro).

HEDDA – ‘See The Light’
HEDDA – ‘Heaven’s Fate’

These video singles were each made by using some single camera footage taken at a live performance. In these situations, three things have to come together to make a quality live performance video: good lighting, a good performance by the band, and good camera work. Good audio in the venue or from the mixing board is important if the video is to remain totally live, but sometimes using the audio from a studio recording can be good for making a low-budget promo video. The footage in these example videos was captured by others – I worked on the audio, improving the video quality (poor lighting in the venue), and adding an intro and outro. This type of video can be useful for making old video footage more watchable, or creating a new video on a very limited budget. This can apply to other types of live event videos as well – not just musical performance.

Dimension X – ‘Why’
Morta Skuld – ‘Prolong The Agony’
Morta Skuld – ‘Hatred Creation’ – (2 camera shoot/edit)

This video single was created by pairing old video footage up with studio-recorded audio. The original live audio was distorted and unusable (camcorder microphone in a small room with big volume). The video footage did not match the new audio, and needed some creative editing to match them up. In the end, new life was given to a video clip that had been rendered useless by bad audio.

Viogression – ‘Nothing’

This video was created out of footage that was captured for simple documenting purposes, but was later used to make a music video and paired with the studio recording it is meant to promote. You can tell while watching it, that the lighting and the ‘performance’ were not carefully produced, but more of a quick capture to document the recording process. Sometimes, with a little creativity however, you can make something more than originally planned and have some fun with it.

Intangible Flywheel – ‘I’m Gonna Love You’

This video was created as a photo slideshow. This project band had no video footage to go with the music, but did have a bunch of photos. This is one way of taking an old audio recording and some photos and making something much more interesting. Video and printed works can also be mixed together with photos to make something creative. Although the example shown is a musical performance, this type of photo slideshow/video can be used for any kind of project.

Fallen Race – ‘Junior’

This is a video I captured with a friend using two cameras. The cameras were stationary (I couldn’t add motion because I was in the shot), but the two-camera edit makes it a little more interesting. The video footage was paired with a rough mix of the studio-recorded audio track.

HEDDA – ‘See The Light’ – rough mix/drums only

This is a video that demonstrates the quality of my current high-definition camera. I created it from footage I shot while obtaining still photos for the Outsidedown Productions website Home Page. This is the camera I use for studio-type video projects and for live event videography.

Video Sample 1

This video shows some rough footage examples I captured for a corporate video production. It demonstrates the video quality obtained as the lighting and camera were moved to different locations during the shoot.

Video Sample 2

Photo

Photo Services

Analog to Digital Conversion – Scan your analog photos, negatives, slides, and printed media and save them as high-resolution digital image files.
Repair and/or Restoration – Restore, manipulate, or improve the digital files: cropping, custom sizing, color correction, effects, removal of spots, scratches and other damage, artistic changes (example: cutting out subject of photo and placing against a different background), and more.
Restored/improved images can be written to a digital master/archive disc.
Images can be incorporated into a slideshow – with or without music or a narrated voice-over.
(Examples would be wedding, funeral, musical group, or family event slideshows)
Images can be added to a video project, music video, graphic layout, poster, or other project.
Digital photos can also be used in your project.
Photography – My experience has been mostly in live and posed musical group/performing artist photography, but would consider other requests. Indoor and outdoor photography services are both available. Some examples are found below.

Look below to see some scanned photo and photography examples…

My rate for all Photo services is $20 / hour (plus discs and sales tax)

A back-up disc of the entire project is an additional charge (recommended even if the project is sent electronically).

Additional information, including how to get started on your project, can be found on the FAQ page.

Photo Examples

Click on an example photo to enlarge it, then look for the arrow on the right or left to toggle between the ‘before and after’ comparison.
This will give you an instant view of the changes made to each photo.

This is a 1954 photo – faded and full of white spots. It was scanned at a high resolution, cleaned and sharpened up, then reduced to a lower resolution for this website example. The high resolution master would be given to the customer along with any lower resolution formats requested.

photo-4–before
photo-4—after

This photo has some very noticeable scratches and also some specks. This type of repair is done manually too, and depending on the damage, can take a while to fix. If a damaged photo is important to you, the results are well worth the effort. In the repaired version, you can see the scratches have been removed as well as the specks. The photo was also lightened slightly.

photo-3—before
photo-3—after

This photo is a scan from a printed concert flyer – The original photo was no longer available. It has some white specks on it and two prominent fold lines. In the repaired version, the specks have been removed, the fold lines have been repaired, and the photo has been sharpened a bit so it no longer has a faded look. The condition of the original photo or printed work will determine how much improvement can be achieved.

photo-2—before
photo-2—after

This is a 1937 confirmation photo. The unedited original scan is on the left. The restored version is on the right. The detail and time spent on photo restoration and repair is based on your needs and budget. The photo scanning and restoration itself can be the entire project, or the restored photos can be added to a new project such as a photo slideshow. A photo slideshow can be silent, feature music or even voice-over narration.

1937 original – before
1937 restored – after

The following are examples of photo/video memorial (funeral) slideshows. These slideshows can be done with photos only, or with video and/or printed works mixed in. They can be short or long, with extra work being done to improve the quality of the photos and video to varying degrees, or media used ‘as is’ with few or no improvements made. Wedding slideshows and other event slideshows can be done as well, and customized to your taste, need and budget. The links below will take you to video examples – complete with detailed notes on each individual video.

Photo Slideshow 1
Photo Slideshow 2
Photo/Video Slideshow